


Wants

by JBankai89



Series: Omegaverse [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A/B/O, Abortion, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Knotting, M/M, Mild Ron Bashing, Mpreg, Omegaverse, PostWar, a/b/o dynamics, hogwarts 8th year, mild hermione bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 11:21:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8487424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JBankai89/pseuds/JBankai89
Summary: Three months after their bonding, Severus is deeply enjoying his time with his Omega, Harry Potter. But one fluke accident turns their post-bonding bliss on its head, and Severus is faced with a difficult choice.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: When I first posted 'Needs' I didn't expect much, as I considered it not as good as some of the other stuff I've posted. To say I've been completely floored by the reception it's gotten would be a massive understatement. I said to one of my friends, partially as a joke, “If I hit 1000 Kudos, maybe I'll write a sequel.” I honestly didn't think I'd actually hit 1000 so I've been stuck in a state of permanent shock ever since. That said, as a thank you to everyone who's given my gross little story a chance, I present to you...the sequel. Enjoy!
> 
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> **PLEASE READ THE TAGS. THERE ARE ELEMENTS IN THIS FIC THAT MAY BE TRIGGERING/DISTRESSING TO SOME PEOPLE. IF YOU IGNORE THIS WARNING AND GET UPSET IT'S NOT MY FAULT.**

Wants

 

Severus's eyes fell automatically to the Gryffindor table, as they so often had over the last three months. His young bondmate felt no inclination to hide his mark of claim, and bore it proudly. Harry's tie and collar were pulled down more than was necessary, and the white crescent of scar tissue was easily visible amongst the mass of golden flesh. Severus felt a stirring of his cock at the sight. Harry Potter was _his_. The saviour of the wizarding world belonged to _him_. His claim was made even sweeter by Gilderoy's fury when he'd first seen it. Chuckling as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips, once more the sweet memory filled his mind.

 

_Severus was sitting in the staff room, an area he rarely graced with his presence. However, after seeing precious little else of the castle during the past three days he'd spent in bed with a squirming Omega, and he needed a change. Severus sat with a stack of horrific first year essays before him when Minerva burst into the room, looking incredibly irritated._

“ _Severus, I'd like an explanation,” she said without preamble._

_He looked up, and blinked at the Headmistress in confusion. “For...?”_

“ _Gilderoy.”_

“ _Inbreeding?” He asked with an air of innocence, and she snorted. Minerva tried to glare at him, though her amusement at his remark ruined the effect._

“ _Don't be cute, Severus, it doesn't become you,” the thin line of her lips never changed, though her approval of the well-placed comment was evident in her tone. “I would like to know why our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor just burst into my office, ranting and raving about something you apparently stole from him?”_

_Severus smirked. Stole, indeed. His delightful little acquisition was still sleeping off the three days' worth of merciless fucking as they spoke._

“ _Well?” Minerva arched a brow, but Severus didn't have it in him to wipe his expression of triumph off his face._

“ _He's a sore loser, Minerva. He lost the little Saviour Omega to me, and he's bitter about it.” Severus returned to the stack of essays before him, while Minerva chuckled a little._

“ _Well, if that's all. I swear, that's the last time I hire an unbonded Alpha...”_

 

Severus hadn't been at all surprised by Minerva's lack of response to his statement, nor distressed by the implication that he'd slept with a student. She knew as well as he did that Alphas and Omegas played by different rules, and the standard set of morals did not apply to them quite as cleanly. That did not stop her from pulling Potter out of his Potions class of course—apparently their tendency to be rather lewd with each other during classtime was not conductive to the learning process. If nothing else, the looks upon the faces of his Omega's fellow Gryffindors had been well worth the reprimand.

They hadn't been exactly quiet about their bonding, but most strangely, it hadn't hit the papers. Severus was rather pleased about this development, certain one of Potter's many adults watching over him had stepped in to keep it from being printed. His little Omega had enough to deal with without the press making things worse, as Weasley and Granger did not seem exactly _pleased_ by his newest scar.

Neither of them seemed to have the nerve to speak to Severus directly, but since Potter's first Heat, they appeared to be even more irritating than usual, Granger in particular. He marvelled at his mate's ability to put up with her nagging and accusations of _coercion_ and _abuse_ when she thought Severus was too far away to hear. _They_ had brought him Potter to begin with, what did the silly girl _think_ would happen? Severus shook his head to dispel the thoughts. It would take time for those two to come around, and if his mate still considered them his friends, Severus vowed to keep his frustrations at their behaviour to himself.

In terms of Gilderoy, hadn't the nerve to confront Severus face-to-face thus far, but his fury radiated him off in waves so thick that even the most intuitively dense could sense it. Severus sipped his morning coffee, watching his little bondmate as he talked animatedly with his friends, far too exuberantly for a Wednesday morning as far as he was concerned. At least today the other two seemed to be keeping their disapproval to themselves. Severus smirked as he watched. Of course, that boy's seemingly boundless energy was put to good use the night before, but the fact that he wasn't distinctly bow-legged this morning simply meant that Severus would just have to pound him into the mattress _harder_ tonight. The other Alphas that occupied the school could easily smell the scent of sex that hung around the Gryffindor like heavy cologne, but Severus was determined that everyone else was aware of it too.

The bell tolled, and Harry stood with an obvious spring in his step. Severus continued to smirk as he watched him go.

 

~*~

 

As the days passed, Harry's next Heat came and went without incident. By this time in their relationship, Severus had worked out that by employing the use of a modified Pepper-Up potion the morning following, they could return to their normal lives much more quickly. Severus rather enjoyed this, as their relationship was a rather physical one, and the absolute exhaustion both of them felt after Harry's heat ended took far too long to recuperate from, as far as Severus was concerned.

He was rather looking forward to the end of the day, and he spent a great deal of his classtime thinking of his little Omega, so flushed but satiated as he had been that morning. Unfortunately, a dunderheaded first year that could easily rival Longbottom in brewing prowess had melted a rather spectacular hole (nigh crater) in one of the desks and reduced his cauldron to molten slag. Severus was most displeased at this development, and he found himself stuck that evening overseeing the boy's detention, instead of indulging in another delightful round of rough sex with his Omega.

 

Severus could smell him lurking outside the door, all hormones, adrenaline, and arousal. The thought of Harry waiting there simply for _him_ made Severus's cock stir.

“Craelic,” Severus barked, making the tiny first year jump. The cauldron in his hands clattered into the washing basin loudly and he winced, as though expecting a reprimand for dropping it. “Out,” he said when the child had finally turned to face him, “your detention is over.”

With a look as though he'd been told Christmas had come early, he scooped up his bag and bolted out the door.

Harry leant against the doorframe Craelic had occupied not ten seconds before, and after a moment he stepped in, his hips swaying in practised seduction. Severus's little Omega had changed so much in the last few months. In particular, his confidence in pleasures of the flesh was significantly heightened. Harry had learnt through hours of enthusiastic practice just what to do to make his Alpha dissolve from the proud man he was to a quivering mess of sensation. The payoff amazed Severus, especially considering he'd long ago come to the decision that it was impossible to impart any sort of knowledge upon the boy, and have him actually use it.

Harry crawled into Severus's lap the moment he reached him, and rotated his hips to grind his erection into the Alpha's budding one. Severus groaned, tilting his head back against the hard wood of the chair's back, and he moved to wrap his arms around Harry's waist.

The young man leant in and kissed Severus deeply. Harry's tongue darted out, twisting with the Alpha's, his fingers burying themselves in Severus's hair.

“I went looking for you,” Harry murmured as they broke the kiss, “McGonagall told me you were overseeing a detention, but I can think of so many evening activities that are _much_ more fun than giving nightmares to first years.” He grinned as Severus chuckled, one of his hands moving to his Omega's throat, his thumb brushing lightly over the mark that resided there. Harry trembled in his arms and a soft moan escaped him while Severus smirked, pleased with the reaction.

“I was thinking the same thing myself,” he purred, “it seems I've had a bad influence on you.” Harry grinned.

“I wouldn't call it _bad_ per se...” the Omega leant forward again and brushed his lips lightly across Severus's. “I think it's more that I'm _insatiable_ , as you so eloquently pointed out last night. Bit of pot calling kettle black, don't you think?”

“Point,” Severus smirked, and drew his young man in for another kiss. Harry responded immediately, rocking his hips into Severus before he casually allowed one of his hands to trail down his front, the heel of his palm pressing firmly into his throbbing erection. _Oh yes,_ Severus thought with delight, _I've_ definitely _had a bad influence on him._

 

The couple reluctantly held off shagging in the classroom and instead made their way back to their quarters. After traumatizing a number of students and staff members who had walked in on them—Severus had conveniently forgotten to ward the door each time—Minerva had politely ordered them to keep their bedroom antics to their own quarters. His Omega did not even have the good grace to look properly abashed at the admonishment, but instead grinned knowingly at his former Head of House. Severus was certain that was the only time he'd ever seen Minerva McGonagall blush.

Minerva hadn't been exactly keen on a student moving in with a professor, but that decision had been entirely out of her hands. Beyond Harry being of age and therefore a legal and consenting adult, they were a magically bound pair bond. It would have been _Minerva_ in the wrong if she'd attempted to bar Harry from his quarters. The Ministry had its faults, this Severus knew all too well, but the legal protections in place for Alpha and Omega couples were so that Severus never needed to concern himself with the worry that someone might try and separate him from Harry.

 

Harry's back had barely hit the mattress before Severus devoured his mouth with his own. His Omega moaned, arching his spine to gyrate his hips into Severus's sizable erection. Severus let out a small growl of desire, his iron control on his Alpha instincts crumbling as he reached down and dug his fingertips into Harry's hip, holding him in place. Harry whimpered into his mouth and reached up to wrap one of his arms around Severus's neck, while he buried his opposite hand in his hair with a needy moan.

Severus dug his hands under Harry's jumper and peeled the obstructive garment off, breaking their kiss momentarily, then his mouth descended on Harry's bonding mark. Severus raked his teeth across the scar, eliciting a number of delicious sounds from the squirming youth beneath him.

“God, Severus, _please..._ ” Harry moaned, arching his hips to grind his erection into Severus's, the action causing the older man to growl softly. He reached down and ripped open Harry's trousers, popping off the button in his haste, though in Harry's haze of arousal, he didn't seem to notice. He kicked off the obstructive garment, and peeled off his T-shirt while Severus shed his own clothing just as quickly.

Severus climbed onto the bed with his Omega, pinning him in place one-handed while he devoured his mouth. Harry was panting and squirming, his hips arching as he struggled to gain some of sort of friction, but Severus did not indulge him, trailing one hand down to rest on Harry's hip, and he pinned him to the bedspread. The Omega whined plaintively.

“Damn it Severus,” Harry hissed as he squirmed under his hold, “if you don't get on with it I swear—” Harry cut himself off when he gasped sharply, the older man leaning in at last to give Harry but a taste of the contact he so deeply desired. Severus released him and flipped him roughly onto his front, and smirked as Harry immediately shifted onto his knees and presented his arse to him beautifully.

“Only a handful of months and I already have you _begging_ for me,” Severus purred as he ran his palms up the back of Harry's thighs, then gripped the pert buttocks before him. Harry moaned, but didn't respond to the comment, too far gone to care about anything but getting off.

Severus pressed a kiss just above Harry's coccyx, and reached for the night table to snatch up the pot of lubricant.

Severus spent very little time stretching his boy before he slicked himself and slid into Harry in one fluid motion. His Omega threw his head back with an appreciative moan, and Severus could see his fists clutching tightly at the duvet.

Severus drew out of Harry's velvet heat, and thrust back in sharply, eliciting another delicious moan from him. Severus clutched his Omega's lithe hips with bruising force while he pounded into the younger man, their grunts and pleasure-filled cries echoing throughout the bedchamber.

Harry let out one final cry as he spilled his seed across the bedcover, and as Severus found his release a moment later and he moved to slide out of the youth, he was stopped short when he felt his cock knot inside Harry's arsehole as he was pumped full of come. He knew at once that it had not escaped Harry's notice as his breath hitched in surprise. He squirmed, not having the mindless haze of his Heat to help him acclimate to the sensation, and Severus could see the tense alarm that practically radiated off of him.

Severus was quick to wrap an arm around Harry's waist to keep him from ripping them apart, and Harry let out another whine, this one far from the pleasure-induced ones he'd been vocalizing not a full minute earlier.

“Sev-Severus,” Harry panted as Severus eased them both down onto the bed, holding Harry fast against him and massaging his bonding mark in an effort to keep him calm. “What's going on? My Heat's ended. Why are you...?”

“I'm not certain,” he murmured, keeping his hold on Harry tight, just in case he tried to jerk them apart; the result would not be pleasant for either of them. “It could be anomalous, an aftereffect of your most recent Heat,” he paused to press a kiss into his untidy hair, damp with sweat. “I need you to calm yourself. If you pull us apart too soon it will be quite painful,” he said in the most even tone he could manage, still able to feel Harry quivering in his hold.

Gradually, Harry's form relaxed and he pillowed one of his arms beneath his head while Severus held him. His grip on the boy relaxed, and he brushed his fingertips over Harry's taut, muscular abdomen as his thoughts went to what his spontaneous knotting could possibly mean. Severus felt mildly sickened with himself at the faint spark of hope that ignited at the back of his mind. He quickly dismissed it; now wasn't the time.

They'd had the discussion before; Harry was still coming into his Omega inheritance, and the idea of _pregnancy_ was still an alien concept to him. Moreover, Harry was adamant about _not_ being a teenage mother. Severus had waited a long time, and had all but given up on the idea of heirs, and though the need to wait longer frustrated him, he refused to force his Omega to carry his offspring when he clearly wasn't ready to do so.

Even so, as Severus brushed his fingers over the flat expanse of skin; he could not help himself as his imagination to ran wild, and the image of Harry swollen with child— _his_ child drifted to the forefront of his mind. It was a deeply arousing image, and it took a great deal of self control to keep himself from vocalizing his desire. He'd promised himself that he'd never push his Omega into anything—not sex, not bonding, nor bearing young. They had discussed it once, and Severus would wait for Harry to return to the subject when he felt ready.

“You're thinking about it, aren't you?” Harry's soft question broke the comfortable silence, and Severus's palm stilled above Harry's navel.

“About what?” Severus asked, and Harry angled his head to look up at the older man, a small smirk on his face.

“Don't play dumb,” Harry said as he shifted uncomfortably, but didn't jerk against Severus's knot. Harry rested a hand over his. “About...” Severus watched as Harry went a little pink, “well, _you know._ ”

Severus stared at his Omega. Harry was far from the blushing virgin he'd been when they'd bonded three months earlier, but the mention of the fact that he could carry children was still enough to reduce him to the attitude of an embarrassed first year.

“I cannot help it,” he murmured as he brushed his thumb across one of Harry's abdominal muscles, and he felt it twitch beneath his fingers. “I had long given up on the idea of children, and it is something I have wanted for many years,” Severus leaned in to press a kiss to the top of Harry's head, “that does not mean I have any intention of pushing you towards that decision.” As Severus finished speaking, he felt his knot let up enough to enable him to pull himself free, and Harry immediately rolled over and burrowed himself into Severus's chest.

“It's just...it's weird to me,” Harry mumbled, his voice muffled against Severus's chest, “I mean, I always thought I'd be the one...not the other way round,” He looked up, his gaze troubled, his glasses flashing in the low torchlight. Severus reached down and plucked them from Harry's face and set them aside. He was then quick to pull Harry into a searing kiss.

“Try not to think about it too much Harry,” Severus murmured as he bit gently at Harry's lower lip and gave it a small tug. “It is not something we need to rush with, and we can discuss it further after your N.E.W.T.s, if you like.” Severus did not know what kind of reaction he'd expected from the young man following his words, but the reaction he got was the last one he could have predicted.

Harry giggled.

“Is something funny?” Severus asked while he cocked a brow, and in response his Omega grinned.

“It's still kind of weird to hear you call me _Harry_. I'm just so used to you barking _Potter!_ at me.”

“Is there something else you'd rather I call you?”

“No,” Harry replied with a small smile, and leaned up to kiss him, “I like it when you call me Harry.”

Recognizing the diversionary tactic for what it was, Severus cleaned the sheets with a few casual flicks of his wand, then tugged the duvet over the pair of them. The soft sigh from his Omega was enough to tell Severus that he'd nodded off, and with his chin pressing lightly against the top of Harry's head, he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him

 

 ~*~

 

Harry had already left by the time Severus woke, the space in between his arms that he usually occupied was cold, and the sight of it deeply unsettled him, though he could not put his finger on why.

Closing off his concern behind a mask of indifference, he went through his morning rituals and swept to the Great Hall, and spotted Harry at once, sat between Weasley and Granger. He looked more subdued than usual, and Severus did not miss how his free hand frequently strayed to press against his abdomen.

The sight made Severus feel slightly ill.

Under normal circumstances, the idea that the first time they'd fucked without the presence of the Contraception Charm he'd been utilizing would be a source of pride for him. However, knowing that this was something Harry _didn't_ want, the idea filled him with sick fear. Despite the logical part of his brain telling him that his knotting had to be an aftereffect of Harry's Heat, some unforeseen accident, it didn't mean anything—he couldn't completely quell his worry.

“Trouble in paradise, Severus?”

The sickly sweet voice of Gilderoy Lockhart cut through his musings and he scowled, turning his head to refocus his gaze on his moronic colleague.

“What makes you say that, Gilderoy?” He spoke in his coldest tone of voice, the tone he only brought out in a few special cases—Longbottom, misbehaving students, Longbottom, would-be potioneers brewing illicit concoctions in their dormitories, and Longbottom, to name a few. The warning in his voice seemed to go over the man's head, and Gilderoy smiled in what he seemed to think was his winning smile.

“Oh, nothing my good man, merely that your little one looks like somebody has died, and you are about as stiff as a board,” he said, continuing to smile as he reached for the fruit bowl. “Perhaps the little rascal is proving to be too much for you. I'd be quite happy to take him off your hands if you feel as though you can't handle him.”

“I can handle him fine, Gilderoy,” Severus replied, his voice just short of a growl, “you would do well to keep your nose out of other people's affairs if you like the shape it currently is.”

“Now, now Severus!” Gilderoy said with a good-natured chuckle as he slapped Severus on the back, hard enough that he to jerked forward slightly. “I was merely commenting on the fact that you and your little mate both seem rather tense this morning,” Severus didn't respond, but glared silently at the man until his 'winning smile' began to waver. Severus knew that Gilderoy was alluding to the habit some Alphas had of 'sharing' their mates with others, but he'd sooner wear pink to his lessons than ever subject Harry to such a thing. He levelled his glare with Gilderoy, not saying a word, and the look was enough to break what little courage the man had easily.

“Well I must dash,” he said hastily, flashing The Smile again, “need to prepare for my next lesson. Have a good morning, Severus.” Without another word he was up and out of the Hall; Severus lifted his wand and took careful aim, but a withered hand on his arm stopped him short.

“While I do not deny that watching that man battle a bad case of spattergroit would be highly entertaining, try to keep from cursing him in front of so many witnesses. As Headmistress, I would be obligated to reprimand you,” Minerva said patiently, her eyes following Gilderoy's hasty exit.

“I could do more damage with potions anyway,” Severus replied lightly as he tucked away his wand, then caught the withering look she was giving him, “I won't kill him, I have no desire to go to Azkaban.”

“All right then, well, when Gilderoy comes to me blaming you, we never had this conversation,” she said while Severus helped himself to some porridge, his eyes straying back to his Omega. “Are you sure you're all right Severus? Gilderoy may have the brain cell count of a block of wood, but you and Harry _do_ look rather troubled this morning.”

“It's nothing Minerva,” Severus muttered at once, “we're both fine.”

 

~*~

 

Severus spent the day in a foul mood, aided in no small part to the fact that he hadn't been able to speak to his bondmate all day. He'd only caught sight of him at mealtimes, given that he was no longer in Severus's eighth year Potions class. Unlike the literature that claimed that a pair bond could sense one another's thoughts and emotions, Severus could lay claim to no such ability. However, Harry's downtrodden mood at breakfast had left him feeling particularly edgy.

He did not even have Longbottom around to take his excess frustration out on, given that the boy had opted _not_ to return for the makeup year, and instead Severus had to settle for watching Harry at dinner that evening, and hoped quietly that their worries were entirely unfounded. He watched his young mate pick over a serving of meat pie and potatoes while he argued in low tones with his friends. Severus was bolstered somewhat by the fact that he at least seemed more like himself than he had that morning as he brandished his fork at Weasley like a pronged wand and rounded on Granger in equal measure.

 

After dinner Severus was quick to return to his quarters, and spent his time grading a depressingly large stack of essays while he tried to keep his eyes from straying to the door. Most nights, Harry would take to coming straight back to their quarters and do his homework by the fire, but tonight, he was nowhere to be found. The empty sitting room felt almost _too_ quiet; Severus had grown rather used to the soft scratching of Harry's quill in the background while he worked, and the occasional question when he hit an area of study that he hadn't completely grasped the concept of. His absence weighed heavily upon Severus's mind, and this worry for his bondmate worsened as the evening wore on.

As curfew came and went, Severus lost the last dregs of his patience as he slammed his quill down upon the essay of a particularly idiotic third year. He stood up and swept through his doors, determined to find and drag his ridiculous mate back to their quarters if he had to do it with him kicking and screaming the whole way.

Severus's first instinct was to check Gryffindor tower, but he had a feeling that if he barged into the lions' den all hell would break loose, and decided first on checking the library. This seemed to have been the right move, as the moment he'd crossed the library's threshold his senses were overwhelmed by the sweet scent of his ripe young mate.

He followed the scent to an apparently empty table, one of the chairs pushed out a little further from the rest. Even at a distance, Severus could hear the soft sound of slow, even breathing. He reached out, and his fingers brushed over the soft folds of Harry's invisibility cloak, and he pulled it off carefully to keep from waking his Omega.

Harry's arms were folded on the tabletop with his head pillowed upon them, an open book and the rough draft of an essay laid out next to him. At the sight of it, Severus felt his anger drain away, to be replaced by a pulling at his heart that was not unlike sympathy. He flicked his wand to gather up the rucksack that had been stowed beneath the chair, Harry's partially-finished homework, as well as the cloak. Severus draped it over one arm before he carefully gathered the boy to him and carried Harry back to their quarters.

 

Severus laid Harry upon their bed and stowed his belongings in the corner of the room where they were usually left. Using a number of banishing spells to disrobe Harry while disturbing him as little as possible, he stripped Harry to his pants before he tucked him in.

It was still strange for Severus to do such things for another, to _care_ for someone other than himself. He cared for his Slytherins, certainly, and his colleagues—mostly, but the care he felt for the young man that now rested in his bed was vastly different. He reached out to carefully pull off Harry's glasses and set them on the side table, while he simultaneously brushed a few stray strands of hair from his eyes. _Was this love?_ Severus wondered, while a soft, content sigh escaped his boy at the light contact.

Severus dismissed the thought, and returned to the stack of essays he needed to finish correcting. It was well past midnight by the time he finished and headed to bed, and the moment he relaxed into the mattress it seemed as though Harry sensed his presence, and immediately burrowed himself into Severus's waiting arms.

Troubled though he was by his Omega's behaviour over the last twenty-four hours, he could not deny that his presence acted much like an anchor. It kept him grounded, and kept him where he needed to be. Severus's chin rested against the top of the boy's head as his soft breaths lulled him to sleep.

 

~*~

 

Given that the next day was a Saturday, Severus was not surprised that he was the first one to wake that morning. Harry clearly saw no reason to rouse himself early—and Severus was certain all his unfounded worrying must have been exhausting.

Severus slid from the bed, careful to keep from waking Harry, and he pulled on his slippers and dressing gown. Brushing the sleep from his eyes, he stepped from the bedroom and into the adjacent and barely-used kitchen, and went about preparing breakfast for himself and his bondmate. They had things to discuss, which they could not accomplish in the Great Hall. Seating Harry with him at the High Table would cast unwanted attention towards them and their situation, and Severus wouldn't be caught dead sitting with the students—and at the _Gryffindor_ table, no less.

Thankfully, Potions and cooking were similar enough that Severus was not hopeless in the kitchen, and he managed to throw together a proper English Breakfast complete with toast, eggs, bacon, baked beans, fried tomatoes, and tea. He was just setting everything down at the small table he reserved for his private meals when Harry wandered in, looking very much like an overgrown toddler with his fists rubbing at his eyes, in a dressing gown that was at least two sizes too large for him. Severus made a mental note to get the boy some properly fitted clothing on his next birthday.

“What time is it?” Harry asked, but stopped short when he saw the food that was being laid out. His stomach gave an audible gurgle, and Severus watched as his Omega went several different shades of red in quick succession.

“Not yet eleven. Come on, I know you barely touched your dinner last night, and I want to see you eat.” Severus sat down pointedly in one of the available chairs, and watched Harry give in almost at once and toddled over to the chair opposite, and he immediately reached for the milk, pouring enough into his tea to make it turn almost white. Severus wrinkled his nose as he further dumped a handful of sugar cubes in, then brought the ruined tea to his lips.

“What's this about? I don't think you've ever made breakfast here before,” Harry said, his voice still a little groggy, but the sugary, milky tea seemed to be perking him up.

“I would like to know what brought on the disappearing act yesterday evening, which forced me to seek you out and bring you back here after I found you asleep in the library, hiding under that infernal cloak of yours,” Severus said, his eyes narrowed in an annoyed glare. Harry did not immediately answer, and instead chose to stare into his teacup, his expression thoughtful.

“Don't make me use my Alpha Compulsion to get you to talk to me,” Severus growled, in no mood this morning for skirting around the topic he was certain had caused yesterday's theatrics.

“We're bonded Severus,” Harry said without looking up, “your Jedi Mind Tricks won't work on me anymore, as you well know.” His mouth twitched into a small smirk, while Severus stared at the young man in confusion.

“My...what?”

“Never mind,” Harry said quickly, looking back up at Severus, his eyes still troubled, but he seemed somewhat calmer than he had mere moments before.

“I talked to my friends,” Harry began, his voice just barely above a mumble, “not about what happened specifically, but...what _might_ have happened.” His hand strayed to his abdomen in a move that Severus was certain was unconscious as he continued, “they weren't exactly what you would call supportive, and I was just sort of...I dunno, I needed time to think so I went to the library. I wanted to think about it, but also _not_ think about it. I didn't want Hermione finding me so I put my cloak and I tried to get some of my homework done, but I guess I fell asleep.”

Severus watched his young mate through his explanation, and was certain there was more to it than what he was telling him, but he felt that now wasn't the time to press him for more details. Vaguely, he wondered what Granger could have done that his Omega would go to such lengths to avoid her. True, she was an insufferable know-it-all, but she was generally quite good at keeping her friends from getting ahead of themselves.

“Eat,” Severus said at last, eyeing him to see if Harry might go in to further detail, but he did not say a word, and instead mechanically reached for his knife and fork. Not for the first time, Severus hoped that their dual concern was over nothing.

  

~*~

  

Severus had always read of frigid Omegas—the kind who did not feel sexual arousal at any time save for their Heats—but after their first few months together, Severus had not expected to experience it first-hand. Harry had been sensual, keen to experience all manner of pleasures of the flesh, and had more than once tried to convince Severus to let him hide under his desk to 'service' him while he taught(A tempting offer, one that pained Severus to decline).

Now however, it seemed as though Harry had experienced a complete personality transplant.

He was unnervingly quiet, his head bowed at mealtimes, and barely said two words to Severus in the mornings and evenings, virtually disappeared at weekends, and any effort to instigate sexual contact was met with a meek, “not tonight, Severus.”

After a fortnight of this attitude, Severus was quickly losing his patience with his little mate. While he nursed a glass of wine and watched the stragglers run in for a quick dinner, he was once more witness to a heated argument between Granger and Harry.

His Alpha instincts always balked at the sight, and his first response was always to separate his Omega from the offending party. Logically, he knew Harry was more than capable of dealing with her, but the urge to protect never went away—not completely. He watched as Harry snapped at her one last time, and though he was too far away to catch the words, he had to assume is was a scathing insult of some kind, as she brought her hands to her face and bolted from the Hall. Weasley snapped something at Harry and took off after her, leaving his mate alone and glaring at his untouched dinner. 

Frustrated at his feeling of helplessness, and at Harry's reluctance to actually _tell_ him what was wrong, he got up and swept from the hall. He did not make it very far however before he was intercepted by the matron. Poppy folded her arms across her chest and gave him a very nasty glare, then untangled one of her arms and pointed to the Hospital Wing's open doors.

“In. Now.”

Severus had rarely seen Poppy so furious, and did not dare argue with the Mediwitch. He followed her to the back of the infirmary and into her office, and sat down in one of the available chairs. She sat behind her desk and bowed her head, seemingly collecting her thoughts before she spoke.

“You need to talk to your bondmate,” she said, her voice tense with concern.

“Any particular reason why I _need_ to talk to him? He has been downright miserable for the last fortnight. I may as well be sharing my bed with a doll, for all the emotional responses I get out of him,” Severus spat, ignoring the dark look of disapproval that crossed her features. Most of the staff and the students who were aware of what had transpired between them highly disapproved, but Severus did not care whether they praised their bonding or not—it was done, and there was nothing they could do about it.

“He's pregnant, Severus,” she said, giving him a glare, “and he's terrified. For goodness sake, he's _eighteen_. Hasn't that boy gone through enough without having to add _teenage mother_ to the list of misfortunes in his life?”

Severus was silent, and he refocused his glare to one of her bare office walls. It hadn't been unexpected, but it was still a shock.

“You must realize it wasn't intentional,” Severus said at last, shifting his gaze back to Poppy, “I _always_ cast the Contraception Charm. Harry had made it clear that he was not ready for children for a number of reasons, and I respected that. This...it happened _after_ his Heat; neither of us expected this to happen.”

“Well, intentional or not, it has happened, and you need to help him deal with it. Right now he is playing the _ignore it and maybe it will go away_ game, and someone needs to snap him out of it,” she said in an impatient, matter-of-fact tone.

“Has he said what he wants to...do?” Severus asked, uncertain whether he wanted to hear the answer.

“He has, but I believe it would be better that you discuss it with him, rather than me getting in between you two.” she levelled her gaze with Severus, and the severe look seemed to soften a little. “I know it is not easy for you, but try and be gentle with him, he is very emotionally fragile right now.”

 

Severus Snape did not get nervous.

It was not something Severus _did_. His cool confidence had kept him alive during the war, and his mask of indifference kept him from being subject to awkward emotional moments with anyone he crossed paths with.

And now Poppy was expecting him to have a talk, a _real_ talk, one which would likely end in tears.

He sat before the fire, a fifth of Scotch whisky on the coffee table in front of him, and a tumbler of the drink balanced in his hand.

 

A _talk_.

 

No matter how many times he went over what Poppy had told him, and what he had been expected to discuss, he found himself still incapable of forming some kind of opinion on the matter; much less what he would do if Harry really was as _fragile_ as Poppy claimed he was.

 

The soft groan of the living quarters' doors opening dragged Severus from his thoughts, and he saw Harry letting himself in, his rucksack draped over one shoulder and his head bowed forward a little. His entire body radiated his stress and panic, and Severus was furious with himself that he had not noticed it earlier.

His young man had begun to make a beeline for the bedroom door, and Severus knew he was about to miss his chance to _talk_.

“Harry, wait a moment.”

Harry froze, and turned to face Severus. Severus felt his stomach lurch at the near-blind panic he saw in those vibrant eyes.

“What is it Severus?” He asked, clearly attempting for nonchalance, but the tremor in his voice utterly ruined the effect.

“Come sit with me,” Severus said, his tone making it clear that it was a command, not a request. Looking rather defeated, Harry dropped his bag by the settee, and moved to sit across from Severus, his legs tucked under him and arms across his chest, clearly trying to make himself look as small as possible.

Harry opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. Severus watched him flounder for a moment before he decided to spare him the pain of trying to tell him of his affliction.

“I had a rather interesting conversation following dinner with Madam Pomfrey. Can you perhaps guess what we discussed?” Severus asked, his tone light, and he watched as all the colour drained from Harry's face. He bowed his head forward and raked his fingers through his hair, and even at a distance Severus could see that the boy was shaking.

“Severus, I—” he broke off and looked up, and Severus was startled by the fear he saw in those eyes. It was rather a new experience to see Harry Saviour-of-the-Wizarding-World Potter _afraid._

“Harry,” Severus said as he slid across the settee and took the boy's hands. _Gentle_ , he reminded himself, and stared down at the trembling, terrified young man before him. “No one is asking you to continue this pregnancy.” Harry winced at the word, but for the moment Severus ignored it and pressed on. “You have options, and I said from our first discussion of it that we would not do it until _you_ felt ready. I meant that.”

“I—I thought...” Harry trailed off and sniffed sharply, looking away from Severus as he hid himself beneath his mop of hair. When he'd composed himself, he pressed on.

“I thought you would have wanted me to keep it,” he mumbled, staring resolutely at his knees while he spoke, and the sight of the boy so miserable, so _terrified_ pulled at Severus's heart painfully.

“It is a spark, hardly a life, not yet,” Severus said softly, pulling one of his hands from Harry's and lifted it to caress the young man's cheek. “There will be other times and many opportunities for us to start a family. You are eighteen years old, you have your whole life ahead of you. I would not ask you nor force you to become a teenage mother, _especially_ when it is not what you want.” Severus pressed his lips into a thin line to keep the chuckle from escaping him when he saw Harry sputter at the epithet, but did not comment on it for the moment as he focused on the problem at hand.

“Severus I—I can't. Keep it, I mean. I just—right now I _can't,_ ” Harry opened his mouth to offer up more explanations, but Severus silenced him with a kiss.

Harry threw himself at Severus, and he could feel the dampness of tears that were not his own wet his cheeks. He lifted his young man up and carried him to their bedroom, never breaking their kiss or even faltering, and the pair collapsed into bed, their clothes rumpled and half-on, half-off their bodies in their haste after such a long dry spell.

With feverish, rushed movements, they stripped each other, uncaring of the popped buttons and torn garments that soon littered the floor.

Severus broke the rough kiss and raked his teeth down the front of his Omega's chest, leaving angry red lines in their wake. Harry gasped, his back arching into the pain, and a shuddering moan escaped him as he grasped blindly at the duvet. Severus closed his teeth over the right erect nipple, and gave it a sharp tug. Another keening moan met the action, and he continued, licking and biting his way down Harry's chest, across his stomach, and stopping just above his painfully erect and leaking cock. The love bites were already purpling, and Severus knew they would not fade quickly.

“Severus,” Harry gasped weakly, “ _please_ ,” he reached up and pulled Severus back down, their lips meeting in another rough kiss, all teeth and tongue, leaving both men with pink, swollen lips.

Severus knew what his Omega needed, and he Summoned his little stone jar of lubricant.

Without the Heat to aid him, he stretched Harry manually, two slick fingers scissoring inside of Harry's clenching rectum, while Harry moaned and cried out as he bore down on the two digits.

Severus did not prepare Harry as thoroughly as he normally would have done; Harry needed the pain. This he knew, but he refused to do anything that would cause permanent damage. When he deemed Harry adequately prepared, he slicked up his cock and lifted the boy's legs, his calves draped over Severus's shoulders as he lined himself up with Harry's waiting hole.

Severus slid in smoothly, letting out a grunt of pleasure as he buried his cock in his Omega's sweet arse. At the same moment Harry let out his own cry of pleasure, tensing his muscles around his cock so deliciously that it nearly unravelled all Severus's self-control in one fell swoop. Severus bowed forward, nearly folding the boy in half as he attached his mouth to Harry's bonding mark. He began to move, the sweet, wet slaps that filled the silence the only other sound audible above their haggard breathing, Severus's grunts, and Harry's keening moans.

When Severus felt himself getting close, he reached down and closed a hand around Harry's cock, and within a few sure strokes, Harry found his release, Severus following suit a moment later, filling the boy's arse with his seed. Severus just barely managed to keep from collapsing on top of him, tumbling to the side with a soft groan as he pulled out, and drew Harry close.

 

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you,” Harry's soft, spent voice broke the silence, and Severus tensed an arm around him, holding him close while he reached for his wand and flicked it once to cover them both with a soft wool blanket.

“You were afraid,” Severus murmured once they'd gotten comfortable, “it is understandable. In the future however, remember that while we may have had a rocky start—” Harry snorted, not that Severus could blame him, _rocky_ was one hell of an understatement, “—we are bound, bondmates, lovers, whatever you would like to call it. I would not force you to do something you truly did not want to do, and you _can_ tell me what is on your mind, Harry. It is highly unlikely that I would be...unreasonable.”

“Severus Snape, that was almost sentimental,” Harry said as he grinned a little, a sleepy sort of peace in the expression that Severus had sorely missed these last two weeks.

“I have my moments,” he replied, “don't expect it to become a habit.”

 

~*~ 

 

The following morning, Severus escorted Harry to the Hospital Wing. For the procedure to work properly Harry had to have an empty stomach, and his Omega had been quite keen to do it without an audience.

Severus walked with a hand at Harry's back, the muscles he felt there were taut with nerves, though none of his anxiety showed on his face. Severus knew that this was the right thing to do—what Harry _needed_ to do, but he could not help but feel slightly saddened at the loss. He'd never expected to be able to produce heirs, and losing one was difficult. Forcing Harry to carry the child to term, however, was unthinkable. He would not put his bondmate through that, no matter what he stood to lose by that decision.

“I take it you two have talked?” Poppy asked the moment the pair stepped inside of the Hospital Wing. They both nodded stiffly to her question.

“Er, yeah,” Harry said, not looking directly at her, “we're going ahead with—with what I told you about.”

“Very well, follow me,” she said, and Severus felt a little relieved at her mask of indifference. Abortion was still a touchy subject for a lot of people, and he was glad that she could see this as Harry's decision and not her place to sway it one way or the other. She turned and led them to the end of the ward, where a bed had been set up with several partitions blocking it from view. Poppy stepped aside to allow Harry to step in first, followed by Severus, then she slipped in last, re-adjusting the curtains to keep curious students or staff from peeking inside.

“Put these on Potter,” she said, handing him a pair of hospital pyjamas and a padded pair of underwear, very similar to a woman's cut in style, which Harry eyed curiously.

“You may experience some bleeding following the procedure,” she said by way of explanation, “those are to catch the blood.”

“Um, okay,” Harry said, his voice shaking a little as she momentarily stepped outside to give him a little privacy while he changed. He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, unused to the cut of the undergarments, but he offered up no complaints as Poppy stepped back inside.

“All right Potter, lie down, this won't take long,” she said as she moved to stand alongside the bed and drew up a chair for Severus. He sat at Harry's side while he watched his expression shift quickly between nervousness and relief, and in that moment Severus knew that this would be the right decision for his young bondmate, and he felt some of his sadness at his loss leave him.

Severus took Harry's hand, and the young man shifted his grip at once in order to lace their fingers together. Poppy unbuttoned the bottom half of his pyjama top to expose his stomach; Harry had already begun to show, though not in a way anyone would notice if they did not know anything about Omega physiology. The muscle tone on Harry's abdomen was the same as it had always been, but his body had already begun to flood with estrogen in preparation for maintaining the growth inside him, and his dark body hair had begun to fade. There was a smooth and almost prepubescent look to him now, and Severus struggled to keep his expression neutral—this was what Harry needed. It was not his place to protest.

Poppy placed the tip of her wand to a spot just above Harry's navel, and the tip glowed a bright acid green. With her opposite hand, she pulled a small vial of thin bubblegum pink potion from her pocket and handed it to Harry.

“Drink this in one Potter, it may take a few minutes to work, and we will know soon if it has been successful,” she moved as if to hand it to him, then stopped and closed her fingers around it, giving him a hard, serious look. “I want you to be _absolutely sure_ , Potter. I am not trying to sway your decision one way or the other, but I have seen many people deeply regret the decision afterward, and there is no changing your mind once you swallow this potion.”

“I'm sure, Madam Pomfrey,” Harry said at once, without the shadow of a doubt in his voice. He did not look towards Severus as he spoke, his entire focus on the matron and the potion she held.

“All right, then here you are,” she dropped the vial into his hands. Harry unstoppered it and downed it at once. Harry grimaced at the taste, and his hand tensed in Severus's as he set aside the empty vial.

Poppy stared at her green-glowing wand resting against Harry's stomach. Harry held on to Severus, and Severus was watching Harry. The silence stretched on for several long minutes, and when Severus had been on the cusp of asking what exactly Poppy was waiting for, he watched as the tip of her wand against Harry's abdomen flickered, then turned a vibrant red.

“It's done,” she said as she pulled back her wand. “I want you to stay here for a few hours Mr Potter, to make sure that there are no side effects; that was a powerful potion you took. If you need anything, I will be in my office.” Without another word, the matron stood and stepped out, leaving the pair bond alone.

Almost immediately, Harry buried his face in his knees. “ _Thank God,_ ” he murmured, his form shaking a little as his hand dislodged from Severus's to rake through his hair. When he finally sat up, his Omega had a glowing look of relief on his face, and he turned to Severus and all but threw himself at the Alpha, devouring his mouth in a fevered, rough kiss.

Startled, Severus lurched back a little from the force of it, while Harry abandoned the hospital bed completely in favour of clambering into Severus's lap.

“Thank you Severus,” Harry whispered, his voice breathless as he broke the kiss, a look of joy and overwhelming devotion flickering in his jewel-bright eyes.

“Why are you thanking me?” Severus murmured as he reached up to card his fingers though Harry's hair, and his eyes momentarily fluttered shut at the contact. “You were the one who went through all this, not me.”

“Yes but...” Harry paused, and gazed down at his lap, then back up to Severus, “I know you wanted this. You didn't have to say it, I could tell. I just—”

Severus cut Harry off with another kiss. He could practically taste the onslaught of guilt for not giving Severus what he so desperately wanted. For a moment, Harry seemed startled by the kiss, then eased into it slowly, as the contact shifted from hungry to tender.

“I would not want anything that would make you miserable,” Severus said softly, his tone even, “Yes, we are bondmates, and yes, I would have wanted this,” Severus paused to study Harry's expression and the flash of guilt that crossed his features, “but not at the expense of your happiness and freedom. You're not ready to be a mother—”

“—Father.”

“I beg your pardon?” Severus cocked a brow, uncertain why his young mate was suddenly turning a rather delightful shade of magenta.

“You, Madam Pomfrey, you keep calling me a _mother,_ ” Harry shifted uncomfortably as he spoke, “I may be an Omega-whatever, but I'm still a man. That would make me a father, not a mother.”

Severus watched his young mate, still so innocent when it came to the inner workings of wizarding culture. He pondered whether he should try and explain to him that no, technically, he was not a man, but after all he'd been through over the last fortnight, Severus decided that that conversation could wait for another day. He pressed a gentle kiss to Harry's temple.

 

“All right then, Father. You were not ready to be a parent, and it would not be fair to have this thrust upon you.”

“You know what Severus Snape?” Harry asked, still perched in his lap and grinning wildly.

“What?”

“I love you,” Harry said with a brilliant smile, though before Severus could formulate a response, his little mate kissed him.

Severus was somewhat startled by the ferocity of the kiss, and somewhat reluctantly he pulled back before it could get too heated, as he did not think Harry would be in any condition for a good fucking—at least for the next few hours.

“Perhaps you can get back into bed and relax,” Severus began, lifting his hand again to stroke that thick, perpetually untidy mop of his, “and tell me what is going on between you and those two hellions you call your friends.” He arched a brow while Harry frowned a little at the prompt. He opened his mouth as though to argue, then grimaced as he slid reluctantly from Severus's lap and back into bed. Harry got under the covers but stayed sitting up, his expression thoughtful.

“The short version is they believed that you forced me into what...happened. I mean, they never expected us to bond,” Harry cradled his chin in his hand and stared despondently at the white linens. “I don't know what was going through their heads during my first Heat when they brought me to you, but it seemed like they assumed you'd fuck me and then dump me or something. When they saw that you and I were bound, they freaked. Hermione assumed you forced me, and Ron agreed with her, and they got even more pissy when I moved in with you. Like...I have no idea what they actually expected to happen, but Hermione's been acting like it's some big scandalous thing, and Ron it just sort of...well, _Ron._ He's being a right foul git, calling you all sorts of things...” Harry trailed off and sighed.

“I've been trying to fix things with them,” he continued, still fixing his gaze firmly upon the bedsheets as he picked at a loose thread, “but just when I thought they were getting to be okay with everything, _this_ ,” Harry waved his hand significantly between them, “happened. They think you pushed me into it, and now all we ever do is bicker. It's exhausting.”

“Do you believe your friendship is worth saving, if they're going to cause you this much stress?” Severus spoke gently, getting more used to doing such a thing the more he practised it with his mate. He had expected some kind of verbal explosion at the words, but instead Harry laughed bitterly.

“Honestly? I don't know anymore,” Harry stared miserably at the thin duvet that covered him, never lifting his gaze, and Severus could not recall ever seeing his Omega looking so depressed. The fact that it was his so-called _friends_ causing him this pain filled Severus with rage. Those three had been inseparable since their first year, and now they decide to make his mate miserable, instead of supporting him? He didn't understand it.

Severus had little experience with _friends_. He lost that when Lily chose Potter over their friendship, and he had been a solitary man ever since. Harry was much more social than he ever had been; to live without his friends would be torturous for him. Severus had no idea how to advise him, and instead watched as with another sigh his little mate lay down and looked up at Severus once before removing his glasses and setting them on the bedside table.

“I think I'll rest a bit, Pomfrey wasn't kidding about that potion being strong,” he said in that same unfamiliar, soft tone. Severus reached out a tentative hand and brushed his thumb across Harry's cheek.

“I'll be here.”

 

The Alpha watched his mate until he was certain that he was asleep, then after pressing a light kiss to his temple he stood and slipped out of the partition to stretch his legs and hopefully clear his troubled mind.

Unfortunately, it would seem that the Fates did not allow for a man like Severus Snape to rest, as at that same moment, Granger and Weasley burst into the Hospital Wing. They both skidded to a halt however when they caught sight of Severus, and he scowled at the pair.

Granger did not seem intimidated by his scowl, and instead puffed out her chest as though she was trying to appear bigger and more important than she actually was. Severus raised an eyebrow at the girl's feeble attempts at intimidation, and instead pointed at the door.

“Out,” he growled, keeping his voice low so as to not awaken his bondmate. When Granger opened her mouth to argue, he elaborated, “my mate has been through a great deal over the last two weeks, thanks in no small part to you two betraying his trust rather spectacularly. He needs to rest. You will say what you need to say _outside_.”

Granger seemed especially incensed by Severus's use of the word _mate_ in lieu of Harry's name, but she seemed to be saving her explosion for the passageway outside. Severus crossed his arms and glared down his nose at the pair. It was no surprise that Granger spoke up first.

“Professor, how could you do that to Harry? How could you force him into...into... _this_?”

“I do not recall forcing Mr Potter into anything, Miss Granger. Perhaps you might be a little more specific as to what, pray, I _forced_ him into?”

“This whole _relationship_ thing!” She sputtered angrily, while Weasley took a minor step back, looking troubled. “I thought you would help him, I didn't think you would—”

“—I would _what,_ exactly, Miss Granger? Bond with him, _fuck_ him? He is of age, and who Harry chooses to bond with is quite simply _none of your business._ Because I know you have the mindset of a bear trap, I will inform you of this: I did not force, suggest, or otherwise coerce your young boy-hero into _anything_. When his Heat was over, he asked for it. I was all too happy to bind one such as him to myself. As for our recent _difficulties_ that he has no doubt shared with you, that was an accident. Do you seriously think that Mr Potter is the type to be manipulated into anything, after all he endured during the war, after all he'd been asked to sacrifice? Do you really know your friend at all, or are you merely two more leeches, hanging onto the coattails of his fame?”

Granger looked as though she'd been slapped, and Weasley's eyes were all but bulging out of their sockets.

“Sir that's not fair,” Weasley began, though Severus was rather pleased that he was still able to incite some level of intimidation in the lollygagging ginger. He remained silent while he waited for Weasley to continue. “We're worried about Harry. We didn't think—I mean, we thought taking him to an Alpha would be better than having Madam Pomfrey sedate him for three straight days and after everything we didn't think you'd take advant—”

“Were you not listening to a statement I made not a full minute ago Weasley, or is your skull too thick for even the simplest of concepts to penetrate it? Harry _asked_ for it. Why would I deny him—or myself the pleasure of doing so? Do you have any genuine reason to believe that Harry is being abused at my hands, or is this the same unfounded prejudice against me that your house seems all too happy to cling to?”

“We saw marks—” Granger began, but Severus would not hear it.

“He left as many upon me as I did on him, I assure you,” Severus replied, and took a moment to bask in the highly entertaining looks of horror and disgust that filled their faces. Who needed Quidditch when unnerving Gryffindors was so much easier?

“Y-you made him carry your—” Granger tried again, though her accusatory tone began to waver.

“I never _made_ him carry anything. It was an accident, you stupid girl. Have you not been listening? An _accident_. I left it up to Harry whether or not to keep it, and he chose to terminate it. You are his friends. After all you two have put him through of late I have _no_ idea why he would still consider either of you worthy of his time, but he claims that you two are that to him. That is the only reason I am telling you two any of this. As far as I'm concerned, my private life with Harry is not for anyone to judge, and certainly not you two.

“Harry has never been one to take abuse from people, as I'm sure you know,” Severus continued, his voice shifting from anger to a smooth, even tone close to his 'professor voice'. “But with you two, he has done so. After everything my mate has been through, enough is enough. If I see either of you give him any more trouble regarding our bonding, you will be very sorry indeed.” He paused to allow the words to sink in, and for them to realize that he was _not_ bluffing. They would only be students for a few more months. If he chose to hex them for giving Harry difficulties after that, he would not be at risk for losing his job. “Get out of my sight.”

The pair scarpered, and Severus took a moment to marvel at the level of courage the two Gryffindors seemed to possess.

 

~*~

 

Three hours later, Madam Pomfrey deemed Harry free to go. “But,” she said sternly as Harry jumped from the cot, “if you have any abdominal cramping or rectal bleeding, I want you to come straight here. Is that understood Mr Potter?”

“Yes miss,” he said with a small smile, “I promise.”

Severus watched as Harry stripped out of the hospital garments the moment Poppy left them alone, clearly eager to get back into his own clothes, only to freeze as he removed the strange pants he'd been asked to wear. Severus could understand the reaction, for as Harry pulled them down (exposing his delightfully perky bottom) Severus could see that they had been dotted with dark blood. It was barely a small splatter, but Severus could see the shade of Harry's skin balance precariously between a terrified white and a sickly green at the sight of it.

Harry did not say a word as he wadded the garment up and buried it inside the hospital pyjamas. It was quite clear that he was not keen to discuss it, and Severus watched as he rushed into his jumper and denims, then grasped one of Severus's hands in both of his.

“Can we go please? I'm starving,” Harry said, still carrying that soft, uncharacteristic tone of voice that deeply unsettled him.

“We can take tea in our quarters if you like,” he replied, keeping his voice low. Severus felt a warmth pool in his belly at the sight of the brilliant smile that spread across his mate's features at the suggestion.

Uncaring that the halls were teeming with students and staff, he escorted his little mate through the halls and down to the dungeons, ignoring the blatant stares the pair of them received from walking through the passageways hand in hand. Severus was more pleased still by the jealous glares the few Alphas that occupied the school shot him, young Mr Malfoy included. In those instances, he wrapped an arm possessively around Harry's waist, though his Omega seemed ignorant to the expressions that the other Alphas shot in his direction.

There was a distinct bounce in Harry's step that had been absent during the last fortnight, and he seemed incapable of wiping the relieved smile off his face. The good mood continued through their small meal, the rest of the day, and well into the evening.

Exhausted by the day's events, Harry was asleep quickly, curled up next to his Alpha, entirely at peace. Severus lay awake a while longer, watching his mate sleep, and occasionally brushing his fingers over the soft skin of Harry's cheek. The ghost of a smile spread over his thin lips as he observed the young man, and he knew in that moment with absolute certainty that yes, he had made the right decision in letting Harry go forward with the procedure.

There will be many opportunities to start a family, this Severus knew. It did not begin and end with this one moment.

They were only getting started.

 

-Fin


End file.
